College of University Libraries and Learning Sciences News

OI&LS Doctoral Student, Jordan O. James, Wins Best Paper Award

OI&LS doctoral student, Jordan O. James, won Best Paper Award in the First-Year Programs Division at the American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition, which took place June 24 - 27, 2018, in Salt Lake City, Utah. This was his first academic presentation. His co-authors included OILS faculty member Dr. Vanessa Svihla, OILS MA student Chen Qiu, and Christopher Riley, a graduate student in Chemical & Biological Engineering. This award recognizes excellence in a technical research paper. Jordan presented research on the impact of incorporating a community-inspired design challenge into first-year courses in UNM's Community & Regional Planning program and Chemical and Biological Engineering. Inspired by the 2015 Gold King Mine spill, which affected many communities in norther NM, students were challenged to design a community engagement strategy and an emergency response water filtration system for a rural NM community threatened by similar pollution. Students showed empathy for various stakeholders and proposed feasible solutions. This research provides inspiration for those interested in bringing authentic design into the classroom, but who are wary of the challenges it can bring.